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A matter of Taste

As humans we have taste.  Or so we would like to think.  Taste for both the edible and not so edible.  We also view ourselves on a sliding scale of expertise or interest among our peers to be either an amateur or an expert at something when it comes to admiration for or competency in discussing something tasteful.

To that end this weekend, I watched a couple of documentaries.  One showcasing the human fascination for speed and the other for food.

I am gullible in both cases.   The fastest land travel in my case has been on board a train in Spain which clocked at 218 mph.  This documentary I watched however showed some of fastest production cars including a Dodge and a Bugatti.  They were driven by showman Jay Leno.

He also introduced the viewers to the fastest woman on land called Jesse Combs who drove top speed of 440 mph in Oregon a few years ago.  She has the taste for really fast things.  So does Jay in that he has collected something like a 100 unique vehicles in his private garage and can afford the total cost of ownership.

When it comes to food it is hard to put a number.  Fastest, tastiest or most decorative or the most time to cook are not really standardized metrics and thus food remains a largely subjective domain.  The film I watched was called Foodies.

It follows a handful of food critics (because they all blog their experiences) who travel the world to eat at the best rated (mostly Michelin star) establishments and present their own take.  The one writer has had his fill at all 108 three Michelin starred restaurants in the world making him an eccentric but also a rare one.

Obviously this requires these hobbyists to have the means to accomplish this uniquely odd feat.  Some are seriously wealthy due to being successful businessmen but some are just regular Joes or Janes.  They save up all their money to make the pilgrimage.  Which is exactly how I see it.  It is no different than someone following a trail to a chapel or temple in search of the holy and nourish the spirit or someone going to a rock concert just to get a glimpse of their favorite guitarist.  Or the scotch tasting tours of Scotland.

In this case it is also to nourish the body - literally.

What struck me as odd as it has in the past in watching these type of food films is the consistent absence of Indian food.  This is a tragedy.  I think I see an idea here.  After I stop doing my day job I might just take the plunge and do something similar for Indian food.  In which I might add I have some degree of experience.  Consuming mostly - some about the art of making it.

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